Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

The Road Commission for Oakland County has closed the Wixom Road/Wixom Trail/Sleeth Road/Duck Lake Road intersection on the border of Commerce Township and Milford Township for the construction of its 45th roundabout.

The intersection will remain closed until late summer.

"If you're familiar with this intersection, it has always been confusing and not an ideal intersection. We've long wanted something to do with it. We're finally able to reconfigure that intersection, take out the two signalized parts of the intersection, and convert the whole thing into a single roundabout that will work much more effectively, work much more efficiently and be much safer," RCOC spokesman Craig Bryson told WHMI News.

Bryson maintains that roundabouts remain a key way for RCOC to reduce traffic fatalities on its roads. RCOC has the largest concentration of roundabouts of any county in Michigan.

The approximately $2.2 million project will be funded by RCOC.

The detour route for the intersection during construction will be Glengary Road to Benstein Road to Sleeth Road to North Commerce Road to East Commerce Road and vice versa.

The work includes:

· Conversion of the existing two signalized intersections into a single, modern roundabout.

· Reconstruction of approximately 0.4 miles of road with asphalt paving and new curbs and gutters.

· Installation of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant pedestrian crosswalk on the east leg of the roundabout.

· Improvements to storm sewers and drainage.

· Installation of intersection lighting.

The contractor for the project is Angelo Iafrate Construction of Warren. This intersection carries approximately 12,000 vehicles daily.

For more information on the project, visit the “Wixom Trail/Duck Lake Road/Sleeth Road Roundabout page linked below.

For questions about the project, contact RCOC through any of the following methods:

· Online at www.rcocweb.org

· Via telephone at 877-858-4804 (Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.)

· Via e-mail at dcsmail@rcoc.org